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Its been good Disney World
- Thread starter THEMEPARKPIONEER
- Start date
polynesiangirl
Well-Known Member
It's your money and you are absolutely free to choose how you spend it. I hope you find something to spend your vacation dollars and time on that you find to be a better trade-off. I may not personally agree with you but I do understand where you are coming from.
draybook
Well-Known Member
I'll be honest, I feel a little burned out on the place. I'm hoping that the expansions will help alleviate that feeling, but I get where you're coming from. And some of the responses here....well, some folks just don't like it when you speak negatively about their precious pixie dust dealer.
pax_65
Well-Known Member
I've been to WDW over 25 times since 1991. We bought into DVC and had many incredible family vacations. While I recognized the financial cost I always felt I got my money's worth and strongly defended Disney to all who didn't share my view. But in the last 5 years I've also seen the quality drop. It's just not the same experience as it was. The price has continued to rise, and new attractions have not been added. The crowds have increased, and the need to plan every meal and FastPass has removed a lot of the spontaneity and some of the fun (this is vacation, after all). I'm not making any huge declarations but I understand the OPs point of view. We had been going 2-3 times a year, we cut it back to once a year. This year, we did not go at all. 
We did write our concerns to Disney, and to their credit they scheduled a phone call with us and took the time to listen to every word. Hopefully it does some good.
We are returning for one trip in 2016. But I'm not sure what passes I'll get. I was an Annual Passholder for many years in a row, but now? Perhaps I'll just spend 3 days in the parks, and find other things to do in Orlando on the other days. Or just spend some time relaxing by the pool. Sigh...
We did write our concerns to Disney, and to their credit they scheduled a phone call with us and took the time to listen to every word. Hopefully it does some good.
We are returning for one trip in 2016. But I'm not sure what passes I'll get. I was an Annual Passholder for many years in a row, but now? Perhaps I'll just spend 3 days in the parks, and find other things to do in Orlando on the other days. Or just spend some time relaxing by the pool. Sigh...
copcarguyp71
Well-Known Member
I've been to WDW over 25 times since 1991. We bought into DVC and had many incredible family vacations. While I recognized the financial cost I always felt I got my money's worth and strongly defended Disney to all who didn't share my view. But in the last 5 years I've also seen the quality drop. It's just not the same experience as it was. The price has continued to rise, and new attractions have not been added. The crowds have increased, and the need to plan every meal and FastPass has removed a lot of the spontaneity and some of the fun (this is vacation, after all). I'm not making any huge declarations but I understand the OPs point of view. We had been going 2-3 times a year, we cut it back to once a year. This year, we did not go at all.
We did write our concerns to Disney, and to their credit they scheduled a phone call with us and took the time to listen to every word. Hopefully it does some good.
We are returning for one trip in 2016. But I'm not sure what passes I'll get. I was an Annual Passholder for many years in a row, but now? Perhaps I'll just spend 3 days in the parks, and find other things to do in Orlando on the other days. Or just spend some time relaxing by the pool. Sigh...
I also wrote a letter after our last trip in 2013 and took a phone call that was pretty much a canned apology. I hear that a lot on these boards and still the same problems exist. I just wonder how long management can say "let them eat cake" before it bites them in the rear end.
rucifee
Well-Known Member
They refunded a bad dining experience for me, but didn't add any extra magic at all. Just canned / rehearsed responses about how Disney was awesome, they didn't even really listen to me just went on and on and on about how great they were and this experience was not the norm. Much corporate, zero magic.
POLY LOVER
Well-Known Member
maybe going multiple times as we do just isn't normal? I mean its like paying to see the same movie over and over again eventually you start seeing the flaws in the plot and the movie. Maybe everyone just needs a break from the place ?
rucifee
Well-Known Member
Hmm, no..if it wasn't normal things like bounce back and DVC wouldn't be a thing. TWDC positioned themselves very well to draw people back to the parks but at the same time they didn't invest in the keeping parks shiny and fresh instead treating them like they were a cash cow. It's a management problem, and it's a pretty significant one at that.
yensid67
Well-Known Member
That is a true statement with any company, but if more and more people stood up for what IS wrong with the Disney COMPANY, then things could change.
yensid67
Well-Known Member
I was thinking the same thing! I think most guests are unhappy with the state of the parks and THE DISNEY COMPANY, itself, when they visit one or two times a year at least. I only plan trips every 4-5 years. Even though I have a little grumbling about the prices, I don't see the popcorn lights being out as a problem. When you have too much of a good thing, that good thing tends to become a nuisance! A lot of the fun is in the planning and dreaming about what your trip is going to be like. I learned from my last trip, not to expect your trip to be like your last. Things change, some you like and some you will have a problem with. Just go into your vacation with NO EXPECTATIONS, even from a Disney vacation, and you should have a great trip!
yensid67
Well-Known Member
Has anyone noticed that it seems like Disneyland/California Adventure seem to get all the love!? Not a complaint, just sayin...
rucifee
Well-Known Member
Why in the world would anyone want to spend thousands of dollars on a vacation if they shouldn't have any expectations? That's complete and utter nonsense. If you aren't supposed to have any expectations, just stay home and keep your money in the bank. That way you won't have any expectations or be let down when you don't have a good time because you had an expectation of a vacation to Disney World being a good time.
danyoung56
Well-Known Member
I think the idea is not to have an expectation of perfection, which no company can provide 100% of the time.
rucifee
Well-Known Member
That's not what was said.
yensid67
Well-Known Member
Why in the world would anyone want to spend thousands of dollars on a vacation if they shouldn't have any expectations? That's complete and utter nonsense. If you aren't supposed to have any expectations, just stay home and keep your money in the bank. That way you won't have any expectations or be let down when you don't have a good time because you had an expectation of a vacation to Disney World being a good time.
I was referring to those that go to a place more often than others. If you go often then you WILL see the 'not so good things' about the place(or person). Its like seeing a person on the street that is friendly and smiling and just nice to everyone. But if you were around that person more often, you would see that they are not usually happy and smiling and nice all the time...they can be mean and unhappy. The point is when you spend less time at a place or with a person, you see the good because you are not constantly seeing them on a regular basis and therefore, they will be happy and nice to see you and you them because you don't spend too much time together...does that make sense!?
yensid67
Well-Known Member
Thanks for clearing that up!
That's what I was trying to say!!!! I went to WDW in May 2013, before that it was 2000 for my last trip. I was EXPECTING everything to be the same as it was in 2000, but it wasn't. I had HIGH expectations that everything would be EXACTLY the same! I vowed never to go back, but ya know what? 2 weeks after we came home we were planning another trip for 2017! I really think before your trip, you should not read any online posts positive or negative and draw your own conclusions! Our 2017 trip will be an adventure, because it will be the first time to use Fastpass+, seeing the new fantasyland and all the new things they added after 2013!
rucifee
Well-Known Member
Translated: I guess we shouldn't go home, or to work, or to the grocery store, or shoot we shouldn't drive our cars, I suppose we should stop having friends too. Maybe we could live under a bridge, but if we see it too much we won't like it anymore either. You know, if we've done this stuff before we like it all less and less unless we lower our expectations.
If we lower our expectations enough, life as a hobo is grand too, which makes about as much sense as implying people should reduce their expectations because they've done something before.
POLY LOVER
Well-Known Member
I agree that they want you back but they just have not done enough to keep it fresh so that when you do go back the place still has that excitement about it.
It seems like they are just missing the mark lately even with the things they do change. Whoever they have that gauges the publics likes and dislikes about WDW just doesn't seem to get it or they do but the Wall Street pressure to keep making more overpowers them. Someone needs to send the message to prioritize the fans over the EPS number.
rucifee
Well-Known Member
You're right, they haven't invested nearly enough to keep it fresh, and it's so very sad. Maximizing income is front and center, but it may come at a long term cost that they are too short sighted to see. Time will tell.
danyoung56
Well-Known Member
I read what was said, the same as you. I was just trying to provide a bit of clarification, which yensid67 has since verified.